http://www.voy.com/93567/
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
Jarod knelt down beside Parker's still form. He took off his duster and placed it over her body.
"Parker." He whispered, shaking her gently.
He got no response.
"Damn it." He muttered, picking Parker's limp body off the floor and placing her on the bed.
"Jarod, what the hell is going on here?" Sydney demanded, going to the bedside.
"The guy she was dating has been abusing her." Stated the Pretender with a sigh.
"How long has this been going on?" asked Broots, concern in his voice.
"A month."
"How did we not know about this?" Syd asked.
"She hides her bruises very well. As well as her pain, but only because of pain pills."
Jarod checked her pulse, finding it steady. He walked into her bathroom, got a washcloth from underneath the sink and sat down on the bed beside Parker's unconscious form. He placed the washcloth over the gash and applied pressure. She would need stitches.
"How did you find out about this?" asked his mentor.
"I found her unconscious on the floor yesterday night. After she regained consciousness, she told me what had been happening, which pissed me off, so I took her to my house and took care of her."
"Why were you here to begin with?" Broots asked.
"I check in on her every once in a while."
"Why?"
"Because we're still friend, somewhat, although, she'd rather deny it. Plus, we had a promise that we made as kids."
"And what promise was that?" asked Sydney smiling slightly.
"That'd we always care about each other no matter what."
"Does Parker still keep that promise?" inquired Broots.
"Yes, although she likes to deny that, too."
From the bed, Parker moaned softly as she came back into consciousness.
"Michealina?" Jarod said softly.
"Jarod?" she said hoarsely.
"Yeah. Along with Sydney and Broots."
She opened her eyes and groaned unhappily. "Oh god."
Her eyes traveled down to Jarod's duster, then slowly around the room. Her head hurt like hell. She sighed deeply. This isn't good. she thought.
"What happened to you this time?" the Pretender demanded.
She managed a weak smile. "I broke up with Brian." She then frowned, "He wasn't too happy about it."
"Obviously. Do you know where he would've gone to?"
"No." Tears of pain stung her eyes, "My head hurts."
Jarod looked down at her. "You're going to need stitches."
"Can you get me any pain pills?"
"Do you have any?"
"In the medicine chest."
"Broots, can you get her the pain pills?" Jarod asked as he stood.
"Where are you going?" demanded Parker.
"To get my medical bag. It's in my car." He called over his shoulder as he left the room.
Sydney looked down at Parker, sympathy in his eyes.
"How could you let this happen, Parker?" he asked.
Confusion filled the woman's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"How come you didn't stop him? Or get some help?"
"I don't know." She answered softly as Broots returned with the pain pills.
He handed them to her, then felt badly as she winced in pain. She put the pills in her mouth and swallowed hard, just as Jarod re-entered the room, the bag in hand. Sitting back down, he opened the bag. He took out a needle, thread, a pair of small scissors, and a small tube of emla cream: to numb the area around the gash. The Pretender helped her into a sitting position.
Parker held the duster to her chest, then exhaled deeply as she let Jarod do his work. Within a fifteen minutes, he had finished with the stitches, and Parker couldn't feel anything, which made her very happy. The Pretender put away his supplies, then stood and stretched.
"Thank you, Jarod." She said.
It amazed her how much she had actually said that since yesterday night.
He smiled and bent down, kissing her briefly on the cheek; which surprised Sydney and Broots. "You're welcome."
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked.
"Anything."
She smiled. "Get me some clothes."
He went into her dresser and got out a pair of white pajama pants, a white tank top, and a pair of panties. He put the clothes in the bathroom, then picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. Jarod was about ready to leave when Parker called him back.
"What is it?" he asked gently.
"Will you help me?"
He nodded and shut the door. Sydney and Broots exchanged a look. The door to the bathroom re-opened a second later. The two men gave them a look.
"What?" asked Jarod.
"That wasn't something we expected." Broots said.
"Well…I'm very comfortable with Jarod…he's helped me dress and undress before." Answered Parker.
Sydney and Broots eyes grew wide.
"It's not a big deal." she said.
"Well, that's not something we hear everyday." Said Sydney.
"Especially since Miss Parker is always trying to kill you or bring you back to the Centre." Broots said.
"Well, this doesn't involve the Centre or anything work related. This is my life, and I make my own choices."
None of the group had noticed Jarod had gone into SIM mode until he had finished.
"I know where Brian went." He said, heading towards the bedroom door.
"Jarod!" Parker said, stopping him in his tracks, "Don't do anything stupid."
"I never do anything stupid…I always give them a taste of their own medicine."
With that he left the room.
TBC…Feedback is well liked.
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